Now You See Me

Posted on Jun 22, 2016 @ 12:35am by Thomas Varn
Edited on on Jun 22, 2016 @ 12:36am

Mission: Fortress: Earth

“Now You See Me”



(Continued From “Helpless”)



===========

Location: USS VERNE

Scene: Main Science Laboratory

Stardate: [2.6]0621.2248

===========



A focused and steady hush had fallen over those that had filled the laboratory. Faces both young and old had taken seats that would normally be filled with the USS VERNE’s Beta shift, most of which had been shuffled to fill the holes left behind. JaVeen stood there watching as they slowly or quickly found seats, some fearing the wrath of their commanding officer, and none of them aware of the eyes that were watching them from afar. All of those that had been present when Thomas Varn had made his presence known, were still trying to grasp the implications, and facts that were present to them by Ensign Lahav; but, none of them were prepared for the fact that someone had returned from death.



JaVeen’s mind ran over the scenario countless times: the endless debate, the bureaucratic shuffling of information that lead the entire fleet to a dead end, and the unwillingness to present any original idea due to the fear that Earth, and her inhabitants, would be reduced to lifeless rock. Yet, some how in the endless nothing of it all the one voice that seemed to gather their efforts together, demanding results with an equal force pulling the best from them was the only one that seemed to not care if Earth and those currently on her were eradicated. There was a willingness that came through with Thomas’ voice, one that let everyone know he was there to succeed and would accept nothing less. It was the voice of a driven man, or a man driven mad, but it was getting results.



As the last crewman assembled, in the last science laboratory across the fleet, Tapar stepped forward activating the communication console that had been installed to assist with fleet wide transmissions. “We are gathered here for a common goal. Through our combined efforts we…”



“Please, sit down Lieutenant I will take it from here,” Thomas’ voice interjected once again interrupting the transmission that had already begun.



Whispers and hushed conversations began to spring forth across the fleet at the secrecy of whomever it was that had somehow brought their respective commanding officer to their intellectual knees. Many had heard that it was someone from the DEMETER, maybe even the President of the Federation himself, others were told stories of personal visits by Captain Kane to each ship leaving forcing submission, but a few, had heard a name unknown to them. Before them all, one by one a holographic image began to flicker and replace Tapar. As photons shifted and reorganized themselves the magic of fantastical stories were taken away for some as the image of a man, a normal looking man, in a lab coat no less appeared.



“Undoubtedly you all have begun to wonder what it is that you are doing here and why your shifts have been changed for the foreseeable future. In this, I would like to say thank you and extend an apology for anyone that it caused unintended stress,” Thomas stated placing his hands behind his back slightly.



JaVeen watched in wonder as the man before them now, the first time she and anyone other than Lahave had seen him, was not the same brash and insulting man that had whipped them into line with just his voice. Her eyes slowly moved across the small gathering of officers, noting how slowly their eyes seemed to fixate and almost melt away, much like a junior officer would someone in command. The scene played out slowly, and JaVeen found herself merely watching Thomas’ face and eyes forsaking anything that would be spoken, only watching. His eyes, those eyes that stared back at each of them called out and almost quaked with something, something that upset JaVeen to her core. The blue and green hue that stared back did not falter, no tears were being shed, no passionate plea, or enthused speech was being given; but, still in the eyes that now seemed to command them all was pain. Pain, it was unmistakable, filled his eyes although it was masked and hidden well there was a great amount of pain that could be found there.



“Each of you have talents that we believe will foster growth and research into a solution that is out there. We have come to rely on you in the short time that we have been with one another, and we are fully confident in the capabilities that each of you have. Unfortunately I can not be with you all, and this why I entrust you to your commanding officers. There is a problem, a problem that threatens all that we hold dear. It is time for us, working together, to make this problem dis…,” Thomas’ stopped midsentence before turning back, and JaVeen could have sworn he was looking at her, “Varn, out!”



====

Location: USS PHOENIX

Scene: Corridor Outside Thomas’ Quarters

====



The corridor was quiet and empty, which was no different from the shift before, or the shift before that. Rico Suarez, was tired of waiting for the action to happen, he could feel in his gut the call of glory that awaited on the soil of the earth below and yet Captain Thytos had entrusted him with the nutjob of a birdman. Nothing had happened since the day that they brought the, whatever he was in, and things really quieted down after Captain Kane came in and clipped birdman’s wings. Silence, was the only numbing sound that Rico heard and felt now, like a hand on a clock ticking away.



“Why are we here?!” Rico demanded venting his frustration in such force his body lifted and dropped as if a weight were applied to his shoulders, “come one Nguyen, tell me you aren’t horribly bored.”



Winnifred Nguyen although outranking Private Suarez, as a private first class, merely moved her eyes before staring back at the bulkheads in front of her. She had made a point to be prepared for whatever could happen, as holding someone in their quarters instead of the brig spoke volumes to her, as well as the report and tales being told about the away team mission that brought back a plus one. There was something different, something that she didn’t want to be blindsided with in the background when she talked to anyone about this Thomas Varn. A resentment and pain in the words of those that know or knew him, depending on the individual you talk to; as well as, a fear of those that understood his existence.



Rico stared at Winnifred blankly as the cold shoulder she had responded with only added to the now deafening sound of the silence that surrounded him, “come on win win, you’ve got to wonder why security isn’t watching the guy.”



Without warning Winnifred snapped to her left facing Rico her eyes locked onto his peering into his soul. Her firearm, on the highest level of stun, quickly and gracefully moved through the air and found itself resting on her back as the strap draped across her chest. Her body moved forward as if slicing through the air before her stopping toe to toe with the man almost three inches taller than her. Rico instinctively began to move backward and protect himself but it was to little too late as Winifred's hand, like the icy hand of death had found its way onto his neck pulling his torso down bowing him forward. The only thought or sound that Rico could manage to utter or form was a gurgling as his stomach made forceful contact with Winifred’s knee before sliding to the right sending his body to the floor.



Winifred stared down at the man slowly reaching behind her retrieving her firearm and pointing to the man's lower waist, “understand one thing maggot. Nno one win win unless I say so. I didn’t say so.”



Rico managed to nod slowly as a small bead of sweat rolled down his temple and into his ear canal. Slowly moving her firearm away from Rico’s waist Winifred turned her head slightly elevating her ear towards the door to Thomas’ quarters. Taking a deep breath she sighed, “I am a peaceful river. I am a mighty oak.”



Winifred slowly stretched her hand outward helping her counterpart to his feet before leaning her head slightly towards the entrance to Thomas quarters. There among the silence was a sound that had continued multiple times without stopping which had given her cause for alarm, “Ten times someone has called. He has not answered.”



Rico closed his eyes and listened closely finally hearing the sound of a comm channel alarm beeping in the room. Somewhere inside, he was impressed by “win win’s” ability to hear something that too him concentrating to hear; but, it was buried beneath the pain that was slowly dissipating from his stomach. Rico slowly moved closer to the door only to hear the alert begin a new for the eleventh time. He knew that something was not right, he could feel it, and now the call of glory was ringing loud and clear behind this door. Stretching his hand out Rico tapped the door call, as his mind slowly etched out the thought, this is it.





====

Scene: Quarters of Thomas Varn -> Corridor -> Deck one -> Captain’s Ready Room

====



Thomas’ eyes darted back and forth as he quickly paced the width of his quarters. His hands instinctively had moved from a rested position at his side to a frantic motion fill the air before him as he walked. His fingers moved across the air as if interacting with tangible controls or mathematical equations forsaking all other things that were taking place in the world around him, including the comm alerts, the door calls, and the ultimate entrance of Privates Suarez and Nguyen after multiple attempts of entry. Thomas’ mind was fully in what Sylvia had once called, auto piloted theoretical ascertation, which basically was a fun way of saying deep thought.



The momentary silence of the room was disturbed as a high pitched whistle emitted from Rico’s mouth. The duo had moved into different positions with Winifred near the door, and Rico slowly circling Thomas making his way to stand in front of him.



“Get a load of this, he’s full blown mental,” Rico stated slowly waving his hand quickly near Thomas face watching his eyes expecting a reaction or reflex blink only to have nothing respond. Rico smiled before allowing his firearm to slowly dangle in front of him as he merely stared into Thomas’ eyes and desperately trying to read his lips. He watched the man spout equations, hypothesis, and formulas in a whispered tone; but, nothing struck Rico as important.



“Suarez, get away,” Winifred ordered keeping her firearm squarely pointed at Thomas’ back.



Laughing softly Rico shook his head leaning in to talk to Thomas some, “forgive her she’s a stiff,” before he moved back slightly to retrace the steps he made to circle Thomas in the first place. Laughing to himself about the small joke he made Rico shook his head and stopped standing next to Thomas, “ey, don’t go no where now.”



With another satisfying joke given Rico laughed a bit more heartedly before allowing his hand to come down striking Thomas shoulder and resting there for only a few seconds. As the impact registered through the synaptic pathways of Thomas’ mind his body moved as if it had a mind of its own. As Rico’s hand lifted to move away it was met by Thomas right hand grasping it tightly. Before he could respond Thomas had side stepped and spun himself twisting Rico’s arm behind his back switching control of to his own left hand. Winifred’s eyes slowly widened as the realization of what was taking place began to register in her own neural pathways but the speed at which it was happening was quicker than expected.



Rico’s voice called out beginning to form the sound of Winifred’s last name only to be cut short and end gasping for air as Thomas’ right arm, which was free had slithered its way around his neck. The struggle was intense but not sufficient to withstand the grasp that Thomas’ had on Rico’s neck, even with the added assistance from his suddenly free right arm. As the world around Rico began to blur and fade into a darkness and the silence which had annoyed him was closing in he watched as Winifred’s body was shot repeatedly before sliding down the bulkhead it had come to rest on.



Slowly his body moved to the floor, much to slow to be a fall, but not fast enough to be carelessly dropped. Barely hanging onto consciousness he watched as Thomas’ leaned in closer waving his hand in front of Rico’s face. Smiling softly Thomas leaned down to Rico’s ear before whispering, “ey, don’t go anywhere now,” and giving the same fate to Rico that Winifred had met.



Quickly standing and looking around Thomas nodded before grabbing the only padd that he had been permitted to use during his conversations with the fleet. Stopping only to look down to the waiting message and opening Thomas shook his head before typing and sending a one sentence reply, “shut up.” Time was short and he was fully aware that a security team and more than likely a marine unit would be enroute to his quarters.



Stepping into the corridor Thomas smiled at the emptiness before setting out passing the nearest turbolifts heading to a far end of the deck itself. His heart had begun pounding harder as if it would leap from his chest; but, Thomas knew that if she slowed even to look behind he would more than likely be shot, maybe killed. Moving at a full sprint down the corridor turning a corner he smiled and shouted, “good evening, deck one!” as he passed and surprised another officer exiting the turbolift that Thomas quickly entered.



As the turbolift doors opened Thomas exited in full sprint again as if a rat released into a maze on a desperate hunt for cheese. By now he fully expected that whoever was sent to his quarters had found both Privates in the floor, heavily stunned but still breathing, and was about to send out a general distress to Captain Kane and all security/marines. Turning a corner Thomas stretched his arm out utilizing the bulkheads as support for his body as it swung into the new direction that he needed to be going. He was almost there, if he could make it without being stopped then all would be better, he would end this once and for all.



The ship's lighting suddenly darkened as an alert status was given, and the Phoenix responded. Slowing only to stop at the doorway before him Thomas’ chest puffed slightly as his fingers worked overriding the door controls, “i’m not an intruder.”



As the doors parted allowing the once respected science officer access to the Captain’s inner sanctum Thomas smiled. Slowly he stepped inside looking around slowly leaning around any corners and looking at any door ways as if they would suddenly open and Kane would burst inside sensing someone had violated the security of his ready room. As the reality that nothing had happened, other than the intruder alert, Thomas slowly ran his fingers across the desk before him. There was something appealing about the room, something that called to Thomas, or who he could have been that was quickly pushed aside as he began working to access the ship wide communication.



The computer beeped in an defiant acknowledgement that he had gained access Thomas’ cleared his throat, “There once was a man from Nantucket, no no that’s not right. O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring…”



=======================================================================



NRPG: Alix hope I did ok with Rico and Winifred.



Justin K. Owens

Thomas Varn

Resurrected Someone